Preview/Review: Necessary Alteration

The Spurs' defensive mindset for the Western Conference finals was all about making life difficult for the most explosive duo in the NBA: Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

Now the attention shifts to limiting the league's best player: LeBron James.

The strategy in the 2013 Finals was evident: Force James to be a perimeter shooter. The Spurs did this by putting Kawhi Leonard on James, one-on-one, and with a mandate to minimize James' drives to the rim, where he is even more unstoppable than Westbrook.

There is no reason to believe the approach will be different this time, but there is a new consideration: Chris Bosh's emergence as a legitimate 3-point threat. When James does drive the lane, someone — Tiago Splitter or Boris Diaw — must stay connected to Bosh.